Portland, Maine, Ballot Measure to ‘Test Public Support’ for Universal Health Care

On Nov. 6, Portland, Maine, residents will vote on a ballot measure that will "test public support" for a single-payer health care system -- a proposal that has prompted an "advertizing blitz" from opponents in the insurance industry, the AP/Kennebec Journal reports. Under the ballot initiative, Portland would work to "encourage" a universal health care system, and the city Health and Human Services Department would have to issue an annual report to the Portland City Council about the benefits of such a system. Supporters of the ballot measure said Portland residents can "send a strong message" to state lawmakers that Maine should become the first state to establish a universal health care system. The Labor Party, a five-year-old political party with chapters in 26 states, organized the campaign with help from the Maine Peoples Alliance, the Portland Democratic Committee, the Portland Independent Greens and the Maine State AFL-CIO. According to Duncan Wright, a Portland psychiatrist who has helped lead the campaign, the groups may launch similar campaigns in municipalities statewide. In response, the insurance industry has launched a "costly" television advertising campaign that will run until Nov. 6. Opponents of the initiative say that a single-payer health care system would cost Portland residents an additional $170 million per year in taxes and limit "consumer choice." In addition, they say that a universal health care system would lead to longer waits for treatment and limited access to specialists and prescription drugs. The AP/Kennebec Journal reports that the Nov. 6 vote on the ballot measure will offer the "winner bragging rights as the health care debate shifts to the state level." State Rep. Paul Volenik (D) said, "Just the fact that the insurance industry is putting a lot of money into television ads shows that they're worried about this. Win or lose, it's a wake up call for the people" (Harkavy, AP/Kennebec Journal, 10/29). For further information on state health policy in Maine, visit State Health Facts Online.